My Earmuffs Made It Happen
by JosephineInTheDark
Summary: Four dollars could do a lot for a rich girl... (read in Natalie's P.O.V.) (Yes, it's updated. But the ending is just plain tragic. If Dan is you're world, you may not want to read this.)
1. Chapter 1

Even though I paid four dollars for these, they are worth more than a new M.K. hand bag to me. I'm talking about my new earmuffs of coarse. They keep my wonderful ears warm without the need for a hat that would just mess up my gorgeous hair. Sure every other girl in the States had a pair I realized when I got there, but back home no one had ever thought of it. They were still absorbed into their knit caps. Even still though, my earmuffs are fluffy and furry to the nth degree. The rest of them are still following the international "knit trend". I was still original and out there. Again ,even though I only paid four dollars, I couldn't help but feel like more of a superstar right now. Even if I was just pulling up to Grace's place for spending the holiday season with the whole clue hunting gang.

My brother and I were just walking up to the house when I saw all of the boys playing, what I was later told, "Snow Football". It seemed as though Hamilton was running far too fast for Jonah or Dan to catch him after he caught a snowball (and mostly crushed it) from one of the Starling boys. He then threw it to the ground and started what I think was supposed to be dancing. Soon after the "excitement" Amy noticed we were here and alerted the rest of them. She and Ian took our bags into the house and stayed there for what seemed like forever. So I just stood there watching Hamilton do the same thing he had before three more times and saw Jonah almost catch him once. They seemed to be getting better. But I could be mistaken for what the objective is, but any way I just sat there watching them do their thing for at least another twenty-five minutes. Just then Daniel came running up to me.

"Hey, can I borrow those Yeti paws attacking your head? They look warm." He said in between pants.

"Ew no! You're get your disgusting boy sweat on them! And they're brand new!" I yelled. How clueless could he be?

"Oh come on! The other guys are just kicking my butt 'cause they're warm and can function right!" He argued, "Would you like to be the reason I freeze to death Natalie Cobra!?"

I rolled my eyes. "If it's so important to you than get on your knees and beg for them, while, calling me my real name." I said with complete confidence. The boys back home would never do it.

He got on his knees. I was stunned. "Please the wonderful Ms. Natalie Kabra let me borrow your Yeti paws for just one punt!" He said pleadingly. Wow did sports always do this to all boys?

I was laughing hysterically. "Oh my, after that I just you can for just _one _'punt' what ever that is. And they're _earmuffs _not Yeti-whatevers!" I said in between breaths. This was just too good.

"Thank you so much!" He said as I handed him my 'muffs.

Next thing I knew he was running back to the field and was kicking a snowball that stayed in quite impressive shape. It even flew very far if I do say so myself. It ended up flying through a tree. Next thing I knew he was "dancing" as Hamilton had before. Then he ran over and hugged me. A Christmas miracle if you ask me.

I awkwardly hugged him back. "Um, what's this for?" I asked a little mentally off by the fact that the sent of him was so oddly intoxicating. A mixture of hot chocolate, skittles and deodorant? It was messing with my brain.

He let go with the biggest smile on his face. "These earmuffs are magical! That was my best punt ever! Even better than Hamilton's today!" He said like an excited little boy on his first trip to the water park, "I am so keeping these." He sounded very definite.

"Ah, keep them." I said with a wave of my hand and a smile on my face. "It's the giving season. Consider it an early Christmas gift from me."

"Are you sure? I didn't think you'd be so easy with it. Aren't they like, Dolce and Banana or something?" He said with a slight look of disdain on his face.

"Actually," I admitted, "I picked them up in a dollar shop back in England when I was freezing after a snow storm had blown in on my jog around a park."

He a a smirk on his face. So me like I was almost proud. He was just about to say something when the boys called him back to play. He decided not to say anything and ruffled my hair instead. Before I could hit him he ran back to his game. I ran inside to fix my hair and Amy gave me a mug of hot chocolate in the middle of what looked like a very in depth conversation with Sinead and Ian about something. I walked to my usual room thinking about where I could buy myself another pair of earmuffs. I sat down on the windowsill and took my first sip of hot chocolate. The instant I smelt it and tasted I was reminded of Dan. Not Daniel but Dan. I looked out the window at the same time and there he was. Still playing in the snow...Why didn't I tell him that I bought those earmuffs after the snow storm had ended a study date...


	2. Chapter 2

I had dosed off after my hot chocolate. By time I awoke again I had gotten a text from Amy to come down to the Dining room for Christmas Eve dinner. I was always a little puzzled to the fact that Fiske insisted we have a big dinner on Christmas eve _and _on Christmas. I always felt so over stuffed after. But it always was fun silently fixing everyone's hair in my head as we ate. It was a game I came up with. Look at everyone's plain or incorrect hair style and fix it in my head how ever I desired. Maybe even after the meal I could help Amy with her "messy-chic" left shoulder braid. Just as everyone sat down Fiske said grace. It was short and sweet. Always my favourite part of the meal. It even distracted me from the fact I was sitting next to Dan. I could feel a smile creeping on my lips. That's when Dan pointed it out.

"I like it when he say's grace too." He said. "It reminds me a little of when Grace used too" He had the biggest grin on his lips.

"It reminds me of when ignorance was bliss and I had no idea of what my mother really was." I said with almost a touch of longing, "back when everything was simpler." I was looking off into the distance now deep in thought and he didn't mind. He just let me sit there and stare without bothering me one bit.

The meal was very traditional, but with some Mexican influences here and there like, Pico do Gallo to eat with the turkey along with stuffing. I ate in silence as usual and so did Dan for the most part. He talked to Ted across from us occasionally. I was happy with just fixing hair in my head.

"Why so quiet Nat?" Dan asked me about halfway through the dinner.

"Nothing just playing a game in my head" I said with a shrug, "and don't, call me Nat."

"What kind of game? I like games. I bet I could beat you! What do you say, wanna play? Hey that rhymed!" He always did get extra hyper at the mention of games.

I pinched him in disgust. "Okay, okay fine. As long as you promise not to jump out of your seat in excitement." I said slightly annoyed.

"Alright, alright!" He said. He took an over exaggerated deep breath. "Okay I'm ready to play." He said in a clam more normal voice.

"Here's how we play," I said with authority, "We pick a bad hair-style. Say, Amy's. Then we fix it in our head!" I said with enthusiasm.

He frowned slightly. "Okay." He said, "How about if we dyed her hair orange and green!" He said with the biggest grin on his face, as if he would really do it.

"If you won't take this seriously, I win!" I threatened him.

His eyes widened in terror. "Okay fine! Ummmm..." He sat in the Thinkers position for at least ten minutes. "Oh I got it! How about if she made the braid a little more neat and started it at the top of her head and made if go all the way down her back?" He said with a hopeful look in his eyes.

I thought about it. "Actually, you're right. It would be much more sophisticated and look a lot less like she had just slept with the braid the night before." I said with a sneer on my face.

Dan licked his finger then touched it to his bum and made a sizzling noise. "Burn!" He yelled a little to loudly and spraying some food across to a very confused looking Ted.

At this Amy turned around from talking to Hamilton and looked at us with a devilish look in her eye. "My hair may looked slept in but at least my boyfriend doesn't spray food across the table" She said imitating my smirk perfectly. I was fuming on the inside.

"He is not my boyfriend." I said through gritted teeth. I turned to Dan sternly. He just sat there red in the face looking down at his plate as though he would kill it.

We ate the rest of our meal in utter solitude, not daring to look at each other. After dinner we went to our respective rooms and turned in for the night. I slept but had the oddest dream regarding my botched study date planes and my earmuffs...


	3. Chapter 3

_She was running away from her date. She didn't even bother going. Half way there she decided to turn around and run. She wasn't sure where she was running to. She passed her house, her school, the park she used to go to when she was little and at least ten different boutiques she regularly checked for new outfits. At some point she reached a cafe she and her best friend, Sophie, regularly ate at on Friday afternoons. She walked in without hesitation at not out of breath in the slightest, despite her marathon running. She ordered a hot chocolate from Dan and sat down at a table. _

_ She found her earmuffs there waiting for her. She immediately grabbed them and put them on. Followed by an overwhelmingly sweet sip of hot chocolate. Suddenly she was over come by the warm and comforting feelings of safety and security. She felt the rush of hot tears and before she could stop them, they flowed. She was bawling now. Sitting at the table all alone. The rest of the restaurant had faded away and it was just her sitting in the enter and crying left. She had felt safe and happy and it scared her. She wasn't ready for feelings of comfort after she was still shaken up over the Vesper attack. She didn't want to feel safe. She just wanted to let herself be free and do crazy things that were dangerous and fun, like skydiving or bungee jumping. She wanted to live life with a feeling a adrenalin at times and come back home to comfort. But she wasn't ready for the comfort part. She just wasn't..._

I felt a hand on my shoulder and bolted awake. I was breathing very raggedly and barley noticed that Sinead was holding me up. Thank goodness I was sharing a room with her. With out her sitting me up I would have collapsed on the bed again. I heard Sinead begin to talk to me. I looked up at her face and saw she was a little concerned.

"...don't worry. I just called Ian to come here. He'll be here soon and you can talk to him then." She explained, "Okay?"

"Alright." I answered, my breathing finally slowing. I put my head back down on the bed and waited for my brother to come. I was calmer now but still a little worried. I must have been acting a little weird for Sinead to call my brother.

Ian walked in the room while I was half asleep. I heard him and Sinead talk about something that sounded like 'almost had a seizure.' This got me very awake. I heard Ian walk next to me as the door closed behind Sinead as she left to give us some privacy.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Ian said in his 'fatherly' voice.

I turned around to face him. "In my dream I was crying like mad, but then I was woken up by Sinead." I never bothered fighting with him. He knew me too well.

"We all have nightmares Natalie." He say kindly, "I'm sure it was just a result of the stress you endured during dinner tonight." He gave me a small smile.

"I'm sure you're right Ian" I said with hope, "It's been an odd day for me. But tomorrow is Christmas! Everything will be much better." I said, half talking to myself. With that he kissed me on the forehead, bid me good night and we were both back to bed. I didn't have anymore dreams that night. Thank goodness.

Christmas morning was wonderful. We all had a hearty breakfast of french toast with maple syrup and your choice or coffee or juice. All curtsey of Nellie and Fiske. They really are quite kind. We ate while we opened gifts under the tree in the living room. The boys got mostly cloths and gift cards. I got some tops from the Holts, some shoes from the Starlings, a pair of earrings from Jonah and a necklace from Fiske and Nellie. But the highlight was defiantly the moss green party dress from Amy and 'Dan'. But I knew the whole thing was Amy's choice. I walked over to them to thank them the hanger around my neck so it fell as it I was wearing the dress.

"Amy I must say you did an exquisite job of picking out this dress!" I said happily. I wasn't lying. It fell just above my knees, but it was longer in the back. The middle had an empire waist band encrusted with jewels. As was the bodice. But it was all tied together perfectly by the wonderful moss green colour that matched my darker skin perfectly. "Thank you so, so much!" I was grinning from ear to ear. I really did love it.

"Thanks Natalie! I'm really happy you like it." Amy said matching my smile.

Dan pouted. "Hey, I picked the colour!" He said slightly annoyed. "She wanted the bright pink one." He said casting a slightly disgusted look Amy's direction.

I thought about it and he was right. Bright pink would be very assaulting to the senses. "Well thank you very much Daniel" I said as though I were speaking to a child. He brightened up significantly.

After we finished opening everything it was already two p.m., we had gone past lunch! We were all starving. We decided to order from the 'finest oriental food place thing open on Christmas in Attleboro!' as Daniel put it. It wasn't half bad. I had chicken and sweetcorn soup witch was actually quite good. As the afternoon set in the boys went outside to play more of their silly snowball game. Dan making a huge point of him wearing my earmuffs. As Nellie began cooking the rest of us piled into the kitchen to help her. That's were things got interesting...


	4. Chapter 4

Dan smashed his fists onto the key board. Not caring if he ruined his six hundred dollar laptop. All he knew was he couldn't do it anymore. Fantasizing about happy, fun holiday's with his family and _her, _then typing them out and showing them to the public for their own amusement. Them thinking "Awwww how cute!" or "Awwww make them kiss next time!". They just didn't get it. He was sitting at his desk in the middle of summer with the same ear muffs sitting on his desk staring at him. He had had enough. He couldn't deal with the guilt. He figured he could use the ear muffs as a silencer. So he did.


End file.
